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After 25 years, 92 families in HD Kote still wait for their land

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MYSURU: In a struggle straight out of an award-winning art movie, 92 families engaged in farming in Kohala village of Hampapura hobli of H D Kote taluk of the district, are struggling for their land rights for the past 25 years. Though the land was sanctioned to these families in 1993 under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, they are yet to get their land documents and rights following objections from the forest department.

Meanwhile, Mysuru DC D Randeep has written to the state government, seeking early resolution of the farmers' plight.

According to the documents, in Survey 23 of Kohala village, 92 families are engaged in farming on 270.15 acres of grazing land. The total land available under this survey is 369.14 acres, and the remaining land is under the forest department.

Among these 92 families, 79 belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC). In July 1993, it was decided to regularize farming activities carried out by these 92 families and issue land rights documents to them under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme. But even after 25 years, they are yet to get the land rights and RTC documents.

According to the documents, in March 2000, the Hunsur assistant commissioner cancelled the decision of the Akrama-Sakrama committee, following objections raised by the forest department which claimed that the land belongs to the forest department. But now, it has found that Survey 23 is not listed as forest land in any government order issued earlier.

According to the documents, currently, out of 369.14 acres of land under Survey 23, only 98.39 acres are with the forest department and the rest of the land is used for farming.

In a bid to grant land rights to these families, the Mysuru DC has now stepped in. In his letter to the state government, he has informed that these families are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and have no other source of income. He requested the state government to release the 270.15acres of land from the forest department and issue land rights to the 92 families.

According to sources, the DC sent the letter to the state government in July, and the affected party is waiting for the government's reaction to the DC's letter.